A case study on peer relationships between children with and without autism spectrum disorder in a Chinese inclusive kindergarten

Abstract

The development of sustainable early childhood education advocates for the holistic development of all children, including children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As an important indicator of children’s social development, peer relationships between children with and without ASD in inclusive kindergarten have not gained much attention. Adopting peer nomination, semi-structured interviews, and participant observations, this study described peer relationships between the two types of children in a Chinese inclusive kindergarten and explored its influential factors. Fourteen children with ASD, 12 children without ASD, 4 teachers, the principal of the kindergarten, and 4 parents of children with ASD participated in this study. The results indicated three types of peer relationships: rejected, neglected, and average. ASD children’s emotional and behavioral challenges, their limited social interaction skills, and teachers’ positive feedback on children with ASD were the major reasons for being labeled the above three types respectively. Furthermore, three protective factors (the rule of child pairing in the kindergarten, innovative curriculum and instructional design, and assistance from parents of ASD children) and three hindering factors (hierarchical roles of the children, the dominance of the medical model, and lack of professional knowledge and skills) of children’s peer relationships were identified. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Estrategias para Habilidades Sociales y Emocionales en la Educación Inclusiva de Estudiantes con Discapacidad

“…Exploratory factor analysis of the social skills improvement system (SSIS) for autistic children: Implications for use and educational placement (Nader et al, 2023) Supporting Primary Students with Disabilities and Neurological Differences in Developing Digital Thinking Skills Through an Inclusive Game-Making Club (Harrison, 2023) A case study on peer relationships between children with and without autism spectrum disorder in a Chinese inclusive kindergarten (Xie et al, 2023) Competences for promoting mental health in primary school (Lahti et al, 2023) Breaking Barriers: The Influence of Teachers' Attitudes on Inclusive Education for Students with Mild Learning Disabilities (MLDs) (Kamran et al, 2023) Sustainability of Inclusive Education in Schools and Higher Education: Teachers and Students with Special Educational Needs (Shutaleva et al, 2023) Nota. Documentos revisados en cuanto a título y autores, elaboración propia (2023).…”

“…Las relaciones entre pares también desempeñan un papel fundamental en la inclusión, como se ilustra en un estudio de caso en un jardín de infantes inclusivo. Este caso resalta la importancia de la interacción y la comprensión mutua para construir relaciones sociales significativas (Xie et al, 2023). Además, el fomento de la salud mental en la educación primaria no solo beneficia el bienestar emocional de los estudiantes, sino que también contribuye a un ambiente de aprendizaje inclusivo y de apoyo (Lahti et al, 2023).…”